Port Adelaide has gone down to Collingwood despite a valiant comeback at Etihad Stadium, with concerns after Robbie Gray appeared to go down with what appears to be a hyperextended knee.
[ Related: Gray injured ]
First quarter
The Etihad Stadium roof was retracted and the match started under full sun - the same conditions Port Adelaide faced Essendon in a fortnight a go.
Power captain Dom Cassisi won the toss and elected to kick to the northern end with emerging small forward Chad Wingard starting as sub for Port Adelaide.
Battling Collingwood is no easy task, but Port Adelaide started well with good forward entries as Matthew Primus played short numbers in attack.
Daniel Stewart continued his prolific goal-scoring start with the opening goal as the Power worked the ball into its forward 50 from the two wings.
Ben Sinclair soon hit back for the home side - levelling the scores at six points apiece - before John Butcher booted a solid running goal from 40 metres.
Collingwood clearing another rebound 50 set Sinclair up again, before the young Magpie made a meal of an easy kick to turn the ball over to Port Adelaide’s Kane Cornes.
Port Adelaide’s key forwards Butcher and Schulz struggled against two players standing them, and Steele Sidebottom responded to Collingwood’s rebounding efforts.
Turnovers again punished Port’s forward entry with the Power midfielders struggling with fewer options in attack.
Two goals to Travis Cloke and Chris Dawes extended Collingwood’s lead whilst a tough advantage call from the central umpire saw another Magpie major extend their lead to 21 points.
Collingwood’s tackling pressure forced the Power to cough the ball up through possession penalties through significant holding the ball calls. Port Adelaide enters quarter time with much work to do.
Quarter time scoreboard
Port Adelaide 2.2 (14) trail
Collingwood 7.5 (47)
Goals: D. Stewart, Butcher
Stats
Disposals: Cornes 13, Boak 9, Jacobs , McCarthy, Cassisi 6
Marks: Cornes, Broadbent 3, Boak, Chaplin, D. Stewart 2
Tackles: Cassisi 3 Hitouts: Renouf 6
Second quarter
After being beaten in both the contested and uncontested football in the first term, Port Adelaide needed to deliver a response.
Its intensity worked up a notch and resulted in it winning the second goal of the term (and its third for the game) through key forward Jay Schulz.
The Power’s intensity had worked up from the first bounce, but Collingwood was equally as responsive and led the tackle count 23-16 midway through the quarter.
The encouraging sign for Port Adelaide came through its management of Collingwood’s first quarter scoring stream primarily through players putting in better efforts at contests.
Yet the critical issues from the Power’s last three games - namely handballing to teammates under pressure - continued to turn the ball over for Port.
Critically, the Power was able to lock the ball into its offensive 50 - something it could not manage in the first.
It resulted in a goal to Robbie Gray from a solid contested mark some fifteen metres out from goals and bridge the margin to 25.
Brad Ebert was awarded a 50 metre penalty to put him within scoring range and kicked truly to reduce the margin to 19 into time on.
Strong leadership from Dom Cassisi with five tackles and solid personal play as well as ex-Magpie John McCarthy playing well against his old side provided the base for the Power, whilst Darren Pfeiffer was also handy in his official debut in Power colours.
Port Adelaide’s scrappy, contested improvement was critical to it playing back into the game, but still faces a huge task to overcome the Magpies despite leading the conversions in the second term.
Half time scoreboard
Port Adelaide 5.7 (37) trail
Collingwood 78.8 (56)
Goals: D. Stewart, Butcher, Gray, Schulz, Brad Ebert
Stats
Disposals: Cornes 22, McCarthy 19, Boak 18, Pearce 12
Marks: Schulz, Cornes, Broadbent 4
Tackles: Cassisi 6, Gray 3 Hitouts: Renouf 12, D. Stewart 5
Third quarter
Having won the second term, Port Adelaide needed to close the 19 point lead retained by Collingwood at the main break.
Collingwood won the first goal for the quarter with a quick goal from the opening bounce.
Port Adelaide’s response came through Paul Stewart snapping brilliantly off the side of the boot to bring the margin back again, but with both sides playing loose men in defence, it was difficult for forwards to find the sticks.
Port Adelaide capitalised on a great rebound to set up Robbie Gray for his second goal.
The Power held its ground to close the margin but Collingwood’s usage was effective enough to hold against the Port Adelaide charge, with both teams trading majors.
Collingwood broke the exchange with the last two goals to extend the lead at the final change, but the Power remain solid and in-touch and need to maintain contested football and competitive spirit going into the last quarter.
Three quarter time scoreboard
Port Adelaide 8.8 (56) trail
Collingwood 13.11 (89)
Goals: Gray, Schulz 2, D. Stewart, Butcher, Brad Ebert, P. Stewart
Stats
Disposals: Cornes 27, Boak 25, McCarthy 23, Jacobs 17
Marks: Boak, Schulz, Broadbent, Cornes, Brad Ebert 5
Tackles: Cassisi 7, Hartlett, Chaplin 5 Hitouts: Renouf 15, D. Stewart 6
Port Adelaide 2.2 (14) trail
Collingwood 7.5 (47)
Goals: D. Stewart, Butcher
Stats
Disposals: Cornes 13, Boak 9, Jacobs , McCarthy, Cassisi 6
Marks: Cornes, Broadbent 3, Boak, Chaplin, D. Stewart 2
Tackles: Cassisi 3 Hitouts: Renouf 6
Second quarter
After being beaten in both the contested and uncontested football in the first term, Port Adelaide needed to deliver a response.
Its intensity worked up a notch and resulted in it winning the second goal of the term (and its third for the game) through key forward Jay Schulz.
The Power’s intensity had worked up from the first bounce, but Collingwood was equally as responsive and led the tackle count 23-16 midway through the quarter.
The encouraging sign for Port Adelaide came through its management of Collingwood’s first quarter scoring stream primarily through players putting in better efforts at contests.
Yet the critical issues from the Power’s last three games - namely handballing to teammates under pressure - continued to turn the ball over for Port.
Critically, the Power was able to lock the ball into its offensive 50 - something it could not manage in the first.
It resulted in a goal to Robbie Gray from a solid contested mark some fifteen metres out from goals and bridge the margin to 25.
Brad Ebert was awarded a 50 metre penalty to put him within scoring range and kicked truly to reduce the margin to 19 into time on.
Strong leadership from Dom Cassisi with five tackles and solid personal play as well as ex-Magpie John McCarthy playing well against his old side provided the base for the Power, whilst Darren Pfeiffer was also handy in his official debut in Power colours.
Port Adelaide’s scrappy, contested improvement was critical to it playing back into the game, but still faces a huge task to overcome the Magpies despite leading the conversions in the second term.
Half time scoreboard
Port Adelaide 5.7 (37) trail
Collingwood 78.8 (56)
Goals: D. Stewart, Butcher, Gray, Schulz, Brad Ebert
Stats
Disposals: Cornes 22, McCarthy 19, Boak 18, Pearce 12
Marks: Schulz, Cornes, Broadbent 4
Tackles: Cassisi 6, Gray 3 Hitouts: Renouf 12, D. Stewart 5
Having won the second term, Port Adelaide needed to close the 19 point lead retained by Collingwood at the main break.
Collingwood won the first goal for the quarter with a quick goal from the opening bounce.
Port Adelaide’s response came through Paul Stewart snapping brilliantly off the side of the boot to bring the margin back again, but with both sides playing loose men in defence, it was difficult for forwards to find the sticks.
Port Adelaide capitalised on a great rebound to set up Robbie Gray for his second goal.
The Power held its ground to close the margin but Collingwood’s usage was effective enough to hold against the Port Adelaide charge, with both teams trading majors.
Collingwood broke the exchange with the last two goals to extend the lead at the final change, but the Power remain solid and in-touch and need to maintain contested football and competitive spirit going into the last quarter.
Three quarter time scoreboard
Port Adelaide 8.8 (56) trail
Collingwood 13.11 (89)
Goals: Gray, Schulz 2, D. Stewart, Butcher, Brad Ebert, P. Stewart
Stats
Disposals: Cornes 27, Boak 25, McCarthy 23, Jacobs 17
Marks: Boak, Schulz, Broadbent, Cornes, Brad Ebert 5
Tackles: Cassisi 7, Hartlett, Chaplin 5 Hitouts: Renouf 15, D. Stewart 6
Port Adelaide kicked the first goal of the quarter through Justin Westhoff but still trailed by 28 points.
A second goal through Darren Pfeiffer bridged the gap further to 22 points - a fitting cap to a hard working and ultimately promising debut from the AFL journeyman.
Port Adelaide’s players continued to toil hard but ultimately lacked the polish and legs to run over the Pies - unable to gain the momentum to close in on Collingwood.
In another loss for the Power, Robbie Gray left the ground on a stretcher after going down in a marking contest.
Port Adelaide eventually went down by 24 points - its third loss against a 2011 finalist within the 20-30 point realm in as many weeks and culminating the most difficult start to the season by a side to finish 16th in the preceding year in recent memory.
Port Adelaide plays the Crows in the away showdown next week.
Final scoreboard
Port Adelaide 10.13 (73) def by
Collingwood 14.13 (97)
Goals: Gray, Schulz 2, D. Stewart, Butcher, Brad Ebert, P. Stewart
Injuries: Gray (knee)
Stats
Disposals: Cornes 37, Boak 31, McCarthy 30
Marks: Schulz 8, Boak, Westhoff, Surjan, Brad Ebert 7
Tackles: Cassisi 8, Hartlett 6, Chaplin 5 Hitouts: Renouf 17, D. Stewart 7
